A Rose's Final Petal
by King of Knights and Heroes
Summary: How do Teams RWBY and JNPR deal with the unexpected death of their friend and leader Ruby Rose?
1. Chapter 1

**Ruby**

I pull the trigger and roll backwards blasting the grimm's head off. I hop back up to my feet and spin on my heel slicing out with Crescent Rose cutting a second grimm in half. I quickly look around and see Weiss fighting a heavily armored grimm.

I plant Crescent Rose into the ground and aim down the sights. I aim at the base of the neck and pull the trigger. Instead of the loud gunshot though, I hear an empty click. I reach for a new clip but my hand takes hold of empty air and my heart freezes.

The grimm bats away Weiss's rapier and raises its other paw into the air. "No… Weiss!" I scream. I yank Crescent Rose and crouch to the ground feeling a rush of cold energy fill my legs as I charge my semblance. I push off and go soaring through the air over to Weiss.

"Like hell I'm going to let it end like this. Not to Weiss!" I think to myself as I slide to a stop pushing the heiress to the side and slashing upwards.

 **Weiss**

I prop myself up on my elbows trying to shake the ringing clear of my ears. I place a hand on my aching head and open my eyes but immediately shut them again, my blurry vision making my head hurt more.

A few moments pass and the ringing subsides so I slowly open my eyes. I look up and see Ruby standing over holding her scythe loosely with one hand. "Ruby? What...happened?" The hulking grimm I was fighting a minute ago lies dead in front of her.

"Oh, Weiss. You're safe. That's good..." she quietly says. "Hey, do you remember when we first became partners how you told me I would be slow and hold you back? It turns out you were right. I was a little bit too slow after all."

She teeters on her feet for a moment before falling backwards. I shuffle forwards to catch her and when she falls into my arms I'm surprised at how wet her clothes are. "Ruby are you…?" I ask as I slowly lower her to the ground.

However once I lower her down to the point where I can see her face my muscles lock up in horror. Three deep gashes are gouged down the length on Ruby's body with blood spilling out like a river. I unfreeze and drop Ruby to the ground and quickly press my hands against her stomach. "Ruby!" I shriek.

"Hey, not so loud. I'm right here you know. You don't need to shout," she says lazily. I panic unable to stop the bleeding as it keeps welling out of her wounds.

"Ruby don't talk!" I somehow manage to say, fear having closed up my throat. "You need to save your strength… please..."

"Mmm I don't think so. I just sort of feel like talking right now. Ooh! Hey! Remember what we did a few nights ago? We should do that again soon, that was nice." She coughs painfully and blood spurts out of her mouth.

"Okay," I say. "Okay anything you want just don't die on me. You hear!? If you die I will never forgive you!" I close my eyes and bend my head down over her chest starting to cry as the blood begins to pool on the ground beneath her.

Ruby just snorts, "Die? I'm not going to _die_ Weiss. Geez you're so dramatic." She seems to notice my body shaking with sobs and says, "Hey, you're crying. Why are you crying?"

"Because you're hurt you dumbass!" I scream at her, lifting my head up. She tries to say something else but I lean down and kiss her hoping that Ruby will just stop talking not caring about the blood on her lips.

When I finally break the kiss Ruby smiles lazily at me. "That was nice, you hardly ever kiss me. Except for that time a few nights ago. You kissed me a lot then. Maybe I should get hurt like this more often."

"No!" I shout. "No more getting hurt! Get it!? You're going to live dammit and you're going to live forever!"

Ruby just keeps smiling at me like she didn't hear a word I said. She struggles to weakly lift an arm up to my left eye and wipes away a tear. "Did you know that from the moment I saw you I always thought that scar of yours was really cute?"

Shaking I grab her hand and more tears spill out as I look down at her smiling face surrounded by her red curls. "I'm a little tired you know? I think I might take a nap for a little bit. Wake me up for dinner okay?"

She closes her eyes and her arm goes slack along with the rest of her body. "No… Ruby," I whisper. I spin around and cry out, "Someone help me! Please! Help me!" I turn back to Ruby again and collapse on top of her sobbing. "Ruby… Ruby! RUBY!"

"A few days ago," Ozpin starts, "Vale faced its biggest threat in years. The invasion of the grimm. Our warriors fought valiantly and defended Vale so that we may live another day. And yet while we have cause for celebration, we also have cause for tears."

"For a great many of our valiant warriors lost their lives within that battle. Though none of those deaths were as tragic, as that of Ruby Rose." I lower my head and squeeze my eyes tight against the tears that threaten to spill over again.

"Ruby Rose," the headmaster continues, "was a huntress, not one in training, but a true huntress to the very end. The person she dreamed of being since a child. She knew the risks that came with it and accepted them wholeheartedly."

"Now that being said, Ruby was not simply a huntress. She was a friend to many of us. An inspiration to others. Ruby was special…" I block out Ozpin's talking unable to take any more. I draw my knees up on the chair and bury my head as the tears start to overflow.

At some later point everyone at the funeral stands up and we walk over to the spot where Ruby's coffin is beginning to be lowered into the ground. I stand stoically by the side aware of my whole body trembling. I grit my teeth semi-thankful for my bangs covering my face.

The coffin starts to descend into the hole and nearly lose it. I sink to the ground holding my chest feeling like my heart has been ripped out of my chest, torn to shreds, and sloppily put back. I hear a horrible wailing and realize it's me. Someone places a hand on my back but I don't feel comforted. Instead I just feel worse.

The coffin is fully lowered into the pit two workers start shoveling dirt over the wooden box. Now I really lose it and for what seems like forever people have to hold me back from running over to Ruby's grave until the hole is completely filled in and the gravestone is placed.

Whoever is holding me back lets me go and in a second I'm in front of the grave. I stay there for who knows how long. Whenever someone tried to drag me away I would trash around and fight them tooth and nail until I was let go.

Hours pass but I don't move. The day changes into night, the wind bitterly cold though I don't feel it. Eventually the sun rises again, lighting up the top of the hill where she was buried. In the newfound sunlight I stare at the rose crest carved into the stone.

Underneath are the words, _"Here lies Ruby Rose. 907-922"_ Underneath that is something Ruby once said before we had even become partners. And I respected her for that. It was what made me stop thinking of Ruby as a child.

She was talking with Blake late at night and I stormed over to her for making such a ruckus when she said, " _As a girl, I wanted to be just like those heroes in the books... Someone who fought for what was right, and protected people who couldn't protect themselves!_ "

I was stunned. More than that I was inspired. Maybe that was when I fell for her. To find someone so pure in a world so corrupted… "You damn stupid girl..." I whisper.

"Why did you have to come to Beacon two years early? Then I would have never met you and I never would have fallen in love with you and I wouldn't have to feel this way right now."

I bow my head wanting to cry more but my tears have dried up making it impossible. "Step away from my sister's grave Weiss," a voice says behind me.

I turn around and look up to find Yang standing above me, Blake behind her. "Oh, Yang. Blake. It looks like I've been here all night." I let out a weak, exhausted giggle.

"I told you to step away from my sister's grave," Yang says again, her voice completely even. "You don't have a right to be here. It's your fault Ruby died."

"Yang!" Blake snaps. The faunus girl lays a hand on Yang's shoulder but she shrugs it off.

"No! It's her fault Blake!" she shouts spinning around to face her. She turns back to me and yells, "If you had been stronger then Ruby wouldn't have died saving your worthless ass!" She makes a grab for me but Blake holds her back.

The words, "Your fault" ring in my head and I get angry. I rise to my feet and step up to Yang. "My fault? MY fault!? What about you Yang!? Where were you when this was happening? She was YOUR sister wasn't she!"

I get in Yang's face and keep going. "If you cared about her as much as you say you do then shouldn't you have saved her!? Don't try to pin this on me you whore!" Both she and Blake are taken aback. "Oh yeah, don't act all surprised, You really thought I couldn't hear you two every night? No, of course not. You thought you were being so secretive."

"Like you're one to talk!" Yang fires back. "What about you? You screwed my sister!"

"If you care so much then why did you never say anything huh?" Yang takes a step back unable to answer that. "That's what I thought," I say. "At least I cared about Ruby. What did you ever do?" With that I turn around and walk down the hill unable to be around Yang any longer.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello my beautiful readers! I just wanted to give you all an update on what the plan is for this wonderful, heart jerking, soul crushing, black hole of darkness story that my twisted brain had as I tried to fall asleep one night... Anyways! I hope to have a new chapter roughly every week or so featuring a new character's own horrible story. The chapters will be written in this order: Blake (this chapter actually), Yang, Jean, Nora, Pyrrha, and finally Ren. I might even add extra chapters featuring Ozpin and Glynda. Hope you all enjoy the feels coming your way. Please review and let me know what you think of each chapter so I can improve my writing and increase your enjoyment!**

 **Blake**

Days pass since Yang's and Weiss's fight at Ruby's grave and things just keep getting worse. Weiss rarely comes down from the hill anymore and when she does, it's like she doesn't recognize anyone, just going through the motions.

Yang has entered a comatose state and has stopped going to class Mostly she just lies in bed comatose hardly eating a thing. Sometimes I can coax her into drinking a little water or a roll of bread but that's about it.

The two of them still refuse to talk to each other or even notice the other's presence. I even heard that Ozpin has been drinking and blaming himself for Ruby's death since he was the one invited Ruby to come to Beacon a full two years early.

After managing to get Yang to eat something I step out of the dorm room planning to go the library. Across the hall I can hear Nora's crying and Ren trying to comfort her. The poor redhead hasn't stopped since the funeral.

Giving a depressed sigh I walk down the hallway stumbling a bit from lack of sleep. Ever since the fight I haven't been able to sleep.

I walk into the library and immediately everyone looks up at me. Though when I try to make eye contact with them, nobody will meet my eyes.

Ignoring them I walk forwards heading towards my usual corner of the library. As I walk along I catch snippets of whispers. "That's Blake Belladonna..." and "She looks exhausted." "I wonder what's going to happen to her team," I hear someone say.

I pause having wondered this question many times myself. Without our leader the team is falling apart bit by bit. I doubt that Yang or Weiss would even accept a new member to the team let alone a new captain.

So what's to become of our team then? Are we just going to disband and go back home? Or could we be a three person team? Though I haven't ever heard of a three person team before. I doubt one would even be allowed.

I take a step intending to go hide in my corner and my vision swims. The quiet sound of whispers and pages turning morph into a single loud buzz. A sensation of vertigo washes over me and the last thing I remember is my face pounding against the floor.

I painfully open my eyes aware of the pounding in my head. "Blake? Blake can you hear me?" I turn my head to the voice and blink away the fuzziness in my vision. Glynda stand above me looking concerned. "Blake? You just suddenly passed out in the middle of the library."

I prop myself up on my elbows and try to roll off the bed I'm on mumbling, "I'm fine. It's happened before. Thanks for bringing me here. Wherever here is," I add looking around the colorful room. "Where am I?"

"You're at my house Blake, and you are very _not_ fine. You're physically and emotionally exhausted. And you said this happened before?" I roll my eyes at her concern for me and swing my legs off the bed.

However when I try to stand up my knees buckle beneath me and I fall again. The only thing that keeps me from banging my head against the ground again is Glynda using her magic to place a series of pillow cushions underneath me.

"Oh yes, you are surely fine. In fact I might even say you are the image of perfect health Blake Belladonna." She walks around the bed and helps to lift me up and puts me back on the bed. "Now, you need rest."

I shake my head in protest and weakly try to push her away from me. "No, no I'm fine. I don't need sleep. I just need something to drink, my head is killing me."

"Blake!" Glynda says sharply. "How long has it been since you last slept." Her tone doesn't leave any room for disobedience and her green eyes stare at me icily.

"Two weeks," I say after a moment. "Not since the invasion."

Glynda sighs. "Alright then. I have some sleeping pills that you can take. Sleep can be an elusive little bastard with the things I've seen."

Frantic I grab Glynda's arm suddenly fearful. "No, please. Don't make me go to sleep. I can't sleep. Please Ms. Goodwitch. Don't make me go to sleep, I'm begging you."

I keep pleading her starting to lose it. "Blake, Blake. Blake! Stop it! You need to calm down!" I quiet down my lip trembling and tears threatening. "Now please Blake, tell me what's wrong."

Trembling I bury my face in my arms and tell her what's wrong. "I can't sleep. Everytime I close my eyes all I can see is Ruby slowly dying. I see the blood spilling out of her and pooling on the ground. I can't take it… The only time I can sleep is when I pass out because then I can't dream."

The tears start to spill over my eyes and I curl my legs up to my chest. "Oh Blake… Honey I'm so sorry," Glynda whispers. "Come here child." Glynda pulls me into a hug and I start to cry into her shoulder, sobs racking my body.

"I-I just. I can't. It's been so hard without her. Th-the team has been falling apart. W-W-Weiss is just a zombie and Yang hasn't left the dorm for days," I manage to say. I realize a moment later that Glynda is shaking too.

I look up to find tears streaming down her face as well. "Blake I am so sorry. You've been suffering through this all alone. We're all suffering but you've had to deal with this by yourself..." Glynda hugs me tighter and I bend my head back down into her shoulder, my resolve having finally broken down.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey there! Me again! I was finally able to finish Yang's chapter and I'll be honest, I cried writing this. I suspect you'll do the same. Though the writing is good so I hope you enjoy it! I also wanted to mention that because some chapter are bound to be lacking, I may redo them. To redo them though, I first need two reviews asking me to revamp the writing and what chapter you want me to rewrite. Remember to follow and comment so I can increase your reading pleasure. Hope you enjoy!**

 **Yang**

"Yang, please. you need to eat something," Blake pleads. "Come on, it doesn't have to be much but you need to eat." I just stare at the ceiling barely wanting to even move.

"Why bother?" I quietly ask. "I mean, Ruby is gone. Weiss hates me. Our team is ruined. So why bother? Besides, I'm not hungry anyways."

"Then do it for me, the person you love right? A personal favor," Blake says, laying hand on my shoulder.

I give a bitter laugh. "Love? What do I know about _love_. Weiss was right, I never loved Ruby. Knowing me I just used her for my own self gratification. I doubt I even love you, I probably just used you as a sex toy," I muse.

My head snaps to the side when Blake backhands me across the cheek. "Yang Xiao-Long. So help me, you are going to get your ass out of bed and eat some stew or I am going to shove it spoon by spoon down your throat."

"Okay I guess I deserved that," I admit. I slowly swing my legs out of bed and sit up pushing my hair out of my face. Blake shoves the bowl at my face and I accept. I take a bite and say, "It's cold."

"No, really? That's shocking. After twenty minutes of trying to convince you to eat I thought it would be piping hot," Blake says. I don't respond. I quickly finish the stew and hand her back the bowl.

"There, I ate. Happy Blake?" I ask in a bored voice. I lay back down on the bed and turn my back to her. I pull my blankets over me deadening whatever response Blake gives me. I hear her slam the bowl on one of the various stands and then storm out of the dorm, slamming the door shut behind her.

I sigh and turn over burying my head into the pillow. "Why am I doing this…?" I mutter to myself. "It's not Blake's fault that Ruby died… No, it's Weiss's fault. If she had just been stronger! No… It's my fault. I can't fight well enough to even protect my own sister..."

I lash out suddenly smashing my fist against the wall and immediately regret it. If I didn't have such a durable aura my hand would probably have broken just then. Even so my hand hurts like hell. "Damn..." I whisper. "I am too weak. Can't even break the damn wall."

I slide my wounded hand back under the covers squeezing my eyes shut. "Dammit, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts..." Not used to being so injured I grind my teeth together. Dimly I realize that I'm not thinking about Ruby. As soon as I'm aware of this I start thinking about her again.

To distract myself I punch the wall again. This time I _do_ feel a bone in my hand snap but the plaster cracks as well. I wince and stifle a cry of pain. I sit up slowly and suck in a breath as my aura begins to dull the pain of the blow.

I sigh feeling a little bit better and sit up. "I wonder if this is what people who hurt themselves feel like," I muse. Having an idea I sit up and climb out of bed. I walk over to the other side of the room and rummage around in Blake's things knowing that she goes to get a midnight snack at times.

In her bottom drawer I find a small knife that she stole from the lunch room one night and never returned. I kick the drawer shut and walk back over to my own bed sitting on it but still staring at the knife.

After simply sitting there for a moment I pull up my sleeve and press the blade against my skin, making sure that my aura doesn't self activate. As I begin to slide the blade along my skin, the white color is replaced by a line of red.

I wince but my body relaxes at the same time from the distraction of the pain. I lift up the blade and put it next to the cut and just made and start to make another one. I end up making more than a few cuts all the way up my forearm until the horrible feeling of Ruby's death is gone.

I clean up the drip of blood and the streams dripping down my arm and then press it against the cuts to make the bleeding stop before pulling my sleeve back down. I sigh in relief and stand up. I walk back over to Blake's drawer and hide the knife back where I found it.

I stand up the same moment that the door swings open. I jump back from Blake's things just as she walks in. She pauses seeing me standing in the middle of the room, her eyes wide. "Yang, you're… moving."

"Yeah? I thought that was normal for living creatures to do," I say.

"Yes… I guess you're right. But you've been stuck in bed since the funeral and hardly eating a thing." She takes a small step forward looking at me strangely.

"Speaking of which, I'm starving. Can we go down to the cafeteria to get some lunch? My stomach is killing me," I say, patting my stomach with my left hand. My right hand still hurts too much to move. "I should also probably apologize for earlier…"

Blake's body visibly relaxes and she steps forward. "If you say so." A smile breaks out on her face and she leaps forward wrapping her arms around my neck. She bumps into my hand and I gasp I sudden pain.

Blake lets go of me and steps back looking up and down her smile replaced with a concerned frown. "You aren't actually okay are you Yang?

"I told you I'm fine and that I want food. Usually having one's appetite back is a sign of them being better," I say. I walk past Blake heading for the door when she catches my right hand and squeezes it asking me to stop.

I cry out in pain and fall to my knees. "Yang!" Blake exclaims, dropping my hand. I assume she takes a closer look at it because she gasps. "What happened to your hand!?"

I look down at it surprised that it's turned purple and swelled to almost twice its size. "Oh that's weird, I don't know. It sort of hurts though. Maybe some food will make it feel better." I jump to my feet and reach for the door with my other hand.

"Yang, I said stop," Blake commands making me freeze. "Turn around." I slowly spin around on my heel managing a scared smile. "Tell me what happened." I don't answer right away and she snaps, "Now!"

"I may have, sort of, uh you know. Maybe punched the wall…" Blake just sighs and puts out a hand wanting me to lift mine up and show her the damage. I put my hand in hers careful to place my wrist in her palm and not my actual hand.

She looks my hand over turning it over and checking the damage. "Wow, you broke it. How hard did you punch the wall to break through your aura?" she asks. She squints at my wrist and slides up my sleeve finding the evidence of my recent activity. "Yang!" She screeches.

"Yeah that's my name, no need to shout," I say, pulling my hand back. I slide my sleeve down and look away from Blake's horrified gaze feeling guilty.

"Yang… You cut yourself? Why?"

"What do you care?" I ask looking down at my feet and holding my arm. "It doesn't concern you. Besides it makes me feel better. There's nothing wrong with it."

"Yang, there's _everything_ wrong with it. You don't just go around slicing your arms to pieces," she whispers. "I get it, we're all having trouble getting over Ruby's death and we're all hurting but that-"

"What the hell do you know!?" I shout suddenly, whipping my head up to face her. Tears suddenly prick my eyes and I get hit with another tidal wave of emotion. I fall to my knees and cry out, "Ruby was my sister dammit! And I couldn't protect her! All I could do was stand and watch as she bled out onto the ground! So what the hell do you know!?" I repeat.

I break down and cover my face with my left arm the true pain of my cuts and my hand hitting me with a sudden clearness. I curl over having that feeling of my heart being broken again. I cry out a shout of pain as the memory of Ruby lying comatose on the ground flashes through my my mind again breaking me into pieces.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey there guys! So I finally finished chapter 4 of A Rose's Final Petal featuring Jaune Arc. Sorry it took so long to finish, I don't have any time during the week to work on it.**

 **Now in regards to the comments: yes I am evil, yes I laugh at your reactions, and yes I do cry as I write these. A great deal. For example, I cried while re-reading the funeral from Weiss's chapter for Jaune's chapter, I cried while writing Jaune's chapter, and I especially cried after reading over Jaune's chapter. Yeah... It's been hard...**

 **In any case! I hope you enjoy this chapter and those to come. I should have a new posted every weekend although whether it gets posted on Sunday or Saturday I could not tell. Next up comes Nora Valkyrie's chapter. Personally, I think this is going to be the saddest one yet with exception to Weiss. That one made me cry the most...**

 **But now! Without farther adieu, I give you Chapter 4, featuring Jaune Arc's own feelings of woe and horror. Enjoy!**

Jaune

How could this happen? I ask myself. How could we let this happen. How could I let this happen? I think to myself as I stand in the back of the funeral. I'm a captain and I was helpless to save her. Hell, I was her friend and I couldn't help her. I'm a failure as a leader.

"Nope, you're not allowed to be a failure. You've got a team now, Jaune. We both do . And if we fail, then, we'll just be bringing them down with us. We have to put our teammates first, and ourselves second. Your team deserves a great leader, Jaune. And I think that can be you," Ruby's words flash in my mind.

I shut my eyes wanting to block out the painful memory. It turns out you were wrong Ruby, I AM a failure after all. I'm sorry that your faith was misplaced.

I'm dimly aware of Ozpin on a stand at the edge of the hill giving a speech but I don't hear a single word that he says. Closer to the front I see Weiss draw her knees up to her chest and bury her head in them.

This is killing Weiss, she really loved Ruby. I remember all the failed attempts I made to court Weiss myself. Who the hell was I kidding. Of course she wouldn't go for me, not when Ruby already held her heart.

Eventually Ozpin stops talking and steps down from the stand. As a group everyone walks to the edge of the cliff hill where Ruby's coffin hangs over a deep hole. I work my way to the front by a sudden, desperate need to be closer.

I find myself standing next to Weiss. I look over her not really surprised to see her eyes like two flat discs. As the coffin slowly lowers into the ground Weiss sinks to her knees crying again. I lay a hand on her back wanting to cry myself but having exhausted my tears already.

With the coffin fully lowered into the pit, two workers begin to shovel dirt over the wooden box now hidden from sight. With no warning Weiss tries to bolt forward. I barely manage to catch her and drag her backwards against her sudden strength.

Pyrrha appears out of nowhere and helps me hold down the white haired heiress from scrambling forward. "Weiss stop!" I say trying to make her stop but it's as if she doesn't even know I'm there.

Finally the hole is filled and Ruby's headstone is placed atop the fresh dirt, the quartz rock shining in the evening sunlight. Distracted Weiss breaks free of my grasp and in an instant is kneeling over Ruby's grave.

She begins to wail in despair, desperately hugging the gravestone. I shut my eyes wanting Weiss to stop screaming, the heart wrenching sound simply making me feel that much worse. I turn away from the grave and sprint down the hill, Pyrrha calling after me to wait.

I sit in the back of the classroom staring off into the distance until the bell rings, snapping me out of my trance. I slowly rise to my feet barely aware of my surroundings as I walk to the cafeteria. Once there I stumble through the line mumbling thank you's.

Having filled up my tray I step out of the line and look for an empty table to sit at. My eyes drift over to the back wall of their own accord seeing the massive crack running through the concrete.

My throat closes up remembering the massive food fight I had here just a few weeks ago against Ruby's team. We had just about won, defeated everyone but Ruby, when she wiped my whole team out in a single strike.

I grimace and shut my eyes tight feeling tears begin to threaten at the fond memory. I turn away from the broken wall and find an empty table near the front of the cafeteria. Luckily it's hidden in a corner so hopefully the rest of my team won't be able to find me.

I haven't been able to look at them ever since Ruby's death. I even started living with Sun and his team in the guest dorms to try and avoid my team. I sit down at the barren table and start eating, not tasting. Just going through the motions.

I hear footsteps behind me and think to myself, Maybe if I ignore whoever it is, they'll just leave me alone. "Oh Jauney boy!" I hear from behind me. Oh damn, what does he want this time?

Cardin slaps a hand down on my shoulder. Hard. "Hey there buddy." I don't respond, content with silently eating and ignoring him. "I heard what happened to your little friend the other day," he says. Immediately I stiffen up.

"Such a shame, really. But then again, that's what little girls deserve for sneaking into Beacon early. Just like a little someone we all know and-" I cut him off having drawn my sword and placing it against Cardin's neck.

"Not one more word out of you, you little whining bitch," I say, slowly rising to my feet. I turn to glare at Cardin and the look on my face makes him take an uncertain step back.

"It looks like Jauney Boy wants to fight now does he," Cardin sneers, momentarily forgetting the blade hovering inches from his neck. "Don't forget your place-"

I cut him off again. "Yes, he does want to fight," I answer, my voice low. A new found anger surges through my body and at that moment the only thing I want is to slice Cardin's head off for bad mouthing Ruby. "Arena. Now."

Fear flickers in Cardin's eyes for a moment but he tries to cover it up with a sneer. "Fine then, if you think you can beat me that is." I don't answer him this time, I just stare at him keeping my sword held steady at his throat.

I drop it after a moment and spin on my heel, walking out of the cafeteria and heading for the arena building, Cardin and many others who noticed the conflict following me. Once there, I walk to the edge while spectators fill the stands around Cardin and I.

He now holds his mace, having grabbed it somewhere along the way. "Last chance to back down Jauney Boy," Cardin taunts as I hook my shield to my arm. "If you say you're sorry and beg for forgiveness, I'll let you off the hook with doing all my midterms."

"If I say I'm sorry!?" I explode. "What about you! All year you have been an unbearable asshole but I put up with it. But this time you went too far. Who the hell do you think you are to talk about Ruby like that!?"

I spring forward slashing my sword down. Cardin easily blocks the strike with his mace and pushes me off. He swings at my left shoulder and I don't have time to raise my shield up or to move.

The moment before his mace strikes me though my aura flares up, stronger than ever before. Cardin's mace shatters and a sickening crunch followed by a loud pop comes from his own left shoulder. Instantly the boy drops to his knees screaming in agony.

Too angry to be shocked at my new found power however, I kick at Cardin and he falls back as my boot connects with his face. "She was better than you!" I scream. "She was better than all of us!"

I kick him again, this time hitting his liver. "She gave her life to protect people! She died saving Weiss!" I'm dimly aware of the tears now streaming down my face as I keep kicking Cardin. "You don't have the right to say her name much less make fun of her!"

"What about that do you not get!?" I scream again. I raise my sword up into the air aiming to split Cardin's head open as he whimpers pitifully on the ground holding his shoulder. I slash downwards but my sword connects with an invisible shield hanging just above Cardin's head.

"Jaune Arc!" a voice shouts from the stands. "Stop this at once!" I spin around to find a group of spectators having parted around Glynda who is holding out her wand. "What is the meaning of this?"

"He insulted Ruby!" I shout, swinging my sword to point at Cardin. "I can't let him get away with something like that!" I realize that I'm trembling, not with fear or anger, but shaking with sobs. I squeeze my eyes shut and lower my head, my sword falling along with it.

I sink to my knees and whisper to myself, "I can't just let him get away with something like that... She was my friend…" I let go of my sword and hug myself around my stomach, a sudden pain ripping through me as I bow my head to the floor and cry.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hi everyone! I'm sorry about the wait! I didn't have any access to my computer over the weekend and when I got back I was having technical difficulties. I wasn't able to get on and finish/post Nora's chapter until now. Sorry about the wait!**

 **I think you'll love this chapter anyways though. Personally I find this to be the most heartbreaking chapter of them all except for Weiss mainly just because Ruby and the heiress were in love. Hope you enjoy!**

 **I just updated this chapter because I noticed a few errors within and a set up for Pyrrha's chapter so if you get an update about this you don't need to read it again. Speaking of the red haired warrior her chapter will likely be up in the next hour or two. I hope. Definitely tonight so no need to worry!**

Nora

I sniff and lift my head up, biting my lip trying to hold back tears from overflowing again. I look at Ren who's kneeling in front of my bed with a desperate smile on his face. "Oh! I have another one!" he says.

He lifts up his pink lock of hair and asks, "Remember when you did this? You died my hair back in combat school? I was sleeping and you snuck into my dorm room and streaked my hair pink. I remember waking up and having no idea what happened! I thought I did it to myself in my sleep!"

Ren gives a small laugh and I smile a little bit, fondly remembering that night. I sit up on my bed leaning against the wall. "Or what about that time when you stitched the holes in all my shirts closed? It took me hours to undo all that and then I went and did the same to you."

I laugh shakily at the memory. I sniff again and look fondly into Ren's magenta eyes. "Feeling better?" he asks, smiling back at mine. I nod in response still not trusting myself to speak. "Good." He pats my head and adds, "I'm going to go grab a shower and then we can go get some pancakes. Sound good?"

I nod again and Ren stands up seeming satisfied. He heads to the shower in the back of the room starting to unbutton his shirt. He enters the bathroom and shuts the door behind him. A minute later the sound of the shower sounds from the room.

I sit on the bed patiently waiting for Ren to get out, my mind blank. Not really aware of what I'm doing, I notice I'm no longer in the dorm but walking down the hallway. Then it's like I'm looking through someone else's eyes, not my own.

I move through the school passing rooms until I find myself outside. I wonder where it is I'm going, I ask myself. I walk around to the back of the campus where the large hill leading up the cliff is. Oh… I must be going there.

I start my hike up the steep hill crashing through the underbrush of the forested hill. My short hike quickly ends with the tree line breaking apart showing the clearing at the end of the cliff. Ahead of me is Ruby's grave and Weiss kneeling in front of it.

I silently slink back into trees not wanting her to be here for some reason. She doesn't seem to have noticed my brief entrance. As I observe her from the shadows I notice that her already thin body has gotten even thinner.

Sometime later the white haired heiress slowly rises to her feet and she turns around, her head hanging down. Even with her head down I can see her cheeks have been sharply outlined from lack of eating.

Weiss makes her way down the hill using a different path than the one I came up. As soon as I'm sure she's out of sight I leave my hiding place and walk up to the grave. I look down at the shimmering quartz feeling a pit in my chest.

I sink to my knees and stare at the stone and it's engravings. "Hey Ruby," I whisper. "Nora here… I just thought that you could maybe use some company while Weiss was gone or something. So here I am!" I weakly lift my arms into the air for emphasis.

My gaze drifts downwards. "So how you been? Well I guess not that well seeing as how you're-" I stop and purse my lips. Off somewhere in the distance I hear Ren shout my name though the sound is faint.

"So how have you been?" I imagine Ruby asking me back, using the wind as her words.

"I've been… fine," I answer. "Well, not really. It's been tough since you died… Not just on me either. Everyone is having a tough time. Ren has been trying to cheer me up with old stories but I can tell he's hurting on the inside. I just don't know how to help him..."

I sit there for a moment, the wind howling around me. I stare at the set of engravings on her stone thinking just how appropriate they are.

"Jaune and Pyrrha too. I haven't seen much of Jaune, he refuses to talk to anyone. I did hear that he almost killed Cardin the other day. Apparently he badmouthed you and Jaune lost it. There are rumours that he's going to be expelled."

"Pyrrha hasn't been much better either. She attends all her classes except for battle class. Her weapons have just been sitting in the closet collecting dust for weeks. She's even talked about leaving Beacon." I look down worried that I might start crying again but no tears come.

I stop talking again thinking about the fun memories I had with my now fractured team. I think about the dance party that happened only a few weeks ago. Jaune disappearing and then showing up again in a dress. The dance off.

Now the tears really do start to come. Not a tidal wave like it was before but instead like a weak stream. I struggle to keep my smile up, the muscles around my mouth twitching and trying to turn into a painful grimace.

"Your team is struggling too… Blake told me that Yang hasn't left the dorm and hardly eaten for weeks and that she just started cutting herself. Blake herself disappeared a few days ago. Apparently she was last seen having collapsed in the library."

"Not to mention Weiss… I guess you already know how bad off she is. I think she misses you the most out of all of us." I look up to the sky the tears now freely running down my cheeks.

I look back down at the grave, at the rose emblem that was part of Ruby. Ruby Rose, the girl who wanted to be a hero. "Why did you have to leave us?" I poke the emblem, barely able to raise my arm up. "Boop..." I say weakly as I touch the emblem.

The realization finally hits like a physical blow to the chest. I curl over clutching my chest and wail out loud. I stop screaming, my throat feeling like it's been ripped apart. Through my tears I'm aware that I shakily stand up.

I feel myself moving past Ruby's grave heading for the edge of the cliff. I keep walking forward wanting the pain to end. I take another step but instead of ground, my foot lands on air. I tip forward a feeling of weightlessness taking over my body.

With no warning someone grabs my arm and yanks me backwards. "Nora! What the hell do you think you're doing!?" Ren shouts from behind me. He spins me around and pulls me farther away from the cliff edge.

Ren kneels in front of me gripping my shoulders, the pain and worry evident on his face even through the tears. "Nora," he whispers. "What do you think you were doing? You have to be more careful. I can't lose you, you're all I have left."

"I-I-I just wa-wanted th-th-the pain to s-s-s-stop," I manage to say, my voice interrupted by hiccups. Seeing the pain on Ren's face I close my eyes. My knees buckle underneath me and I collapse into Ren's arms.

My body shakes with sobs but I realize that not only my sobs. Ren is crying too and holding me tight, like he's afraid if he lets go I'll jump off the cliff again. "I know," he whispers. "I know," he whispers again.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hi! Not much to say this time. Pyrrha's chapter came out a little late because Nora's chapter was late but I should be back on schedule this weekend. This is a great chapter I personally think. Made me cry quite a bit. I hope you all enjoy and please don't forget to leave reviews so I know what I'm doing wrong! See you next week!**

 **Pyrrha**

I walk back into my dorm room flicking on a light switch. Ren looks up, surprised to see me. "Oh, hey Pyrrha. You're back early. Usually you aren't done at the library till midnight."

"Yeah," I say, looking away from his eyes. "I just needed to come back to change. I spilled some tea at the library and got it on my clothes. That's all." I walk across the room over to my closet.

"Why were you sitting in the dark though? And where's Nora?" I add. I look at the ninja through the corner of my eye and see him wipe his.

"I was able to convince Nora to go get some food. I ate a little bit ago so I'm just here meditating. That's all." Liar.

"Oh. That's all," I say, turning away from Ren. I pull off my shirt not caring about Ren's presence. Besides, I still have my bra on so I'm not completely exposed. I toss the wet shirt over to a laundry basket and grab a new one from the closet.

As I pull on the clean shirt I see my weapons sitting in the back partially hidden by the hanging clothes. I pause and push the rest of my clothes out of the way so I can see them clearer.

I kneel down and reach to the back my shirt hanging halfway on. I grasp the shaft of my spear and lift it up. I examine it for a moment before my hand starts to shake. My vision goes black and when it clears, I'm back on the field during the Invasion of the Grimm.

I leap into the air spinning. I throw my spear down piercing a Grimm and as I fall I throw my shield letting it bounce between multiple Beowolfs. I land and yank my spear out of the Grimm and transform it to my short sword.

I grab my shield out of the air and spin, cutting down another Grimm that came up from behind. Getting a brief respite I look around the battlefield. I whirl hearing a scream and freeze. In the distance Weiss is kneeling over Ruby.

From this angle I can just barely see the blood pooling around the young girl. "No," I whisper. "No. No. No, no, no. No!" I scream.

"Pyrrha!" Ren's voice snaps me back to reality. Without warning I throw my spear at the wall, the blade sinking all the way to the shaft. Ren places a hand on my shoulder not saying anything. I look down at my hand not surprised to see it pale and shaking violently.

A tear lands in my palm and I gently touch my face not knowing that I had started to cry. I pull my hand to my chest and close my eyes trying to stop shuddering. "I still can't hold it without going back to that damned day," I whisper to myself.

"Pyrrha..." Ren says quietly. His hand tightens on my shoulder and I focus on it like an anchor keeping me from going back to that nightmare. Saying nothing I finish putting on my shirt and stand up.

I walk to the door and lay a hand on it, pausing. "Hey Ren," I whisper.

"Yeah Pyrrha?" he replies. I hear him grunt probably from yanking my spear out of the wall.

"I think I'm going to leave Beacon." Not waiting for his reply, I turn the knob and walk out of the dorm room. Ren doesn't follow me.

I walk down the long hallway days after my last talk with Ren wondering if I should really go through with what I'm about to do. I reach the large door at the end and knock. _No turning back now I guess,_ I think to myself.

"Come in," I hear Ozpin say, his voice muffled by the thick door. I open the door and step inside. I walk up to Ozpin's desk gazing down at the floor.

After I don't say anything Ozpin looks up. "Pyrrha," he says, surprised to see me. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in class at this hour?" I nod weakly still not saying anything. "Is something wrong my dear?" I mumble my answer making Ozpin ask, "What? I didn't catch that."

I look and meet Ozpin's eyes. Loudly I say, "I would like to resign from Beacon." Ozpin's eyes widen and he sits there speechless for a moment.

"Wait wait wait wait wait," Ozpin says, shaking his head. "What do you mean leave Beacon? What is this all about Pyrrha?"

I look back down by momentary confidence gone. "You know what this is about. Ruby."

"I get that her death was a blow to us all but are you really intending to leave the school over it?" Ozpin walks around the desk to stand in front of me and drops his hands on my shoulders.

"I just, I can't do this anymore." I weakly wave my hands in the air. "How can I be a huntress, a person who protects the people who can't protect themselves, when I can't even hold my weapons let alone save one person."

My hands drop back to my sides and I clench my teeth feeling tears threaten. "Pyrrha..." Ozpin says. "I understand that but with time I'm sure you'll be able-"

"No! You don't get it!" I suddenly scream at him. "I can't take this anymore! The people around me are slowly breaking apart! Weiss has broken to pieces! Yang cuts herself! Blake can't sleep! Jaune almost killed Cardin! Nora almost killed herself at Ruby's grave yesterday! Ren is locking away anything that he feels! I can't even pick up my own damned weapons!"

I choke back a sob, the tears that were threatening finally spilling out. "I can't take it… With Ruby dead I can't be a huntress anymore…" My head hangs down and tears drip from my eyes splattering against the floor.

Ozpin silently pulls me into a hug as I shake, trying to stop crying. This action makes me finally snap and I begin to sob. I cry out in pain wishing that Ruby was alive again. "I just want her back," I say between sobs.

I stay like that for I don't know how long, maybe hours, crying in Ozpin's arms. "Alright Pyrrha," Ozpin says once my tears dwindle down. "I'll honor your request. If you no longer think that Beacon is the right place for you, I'll sign your resignation."

"Thank you," I whisper.


	7. Update

Hi! First of all, this is not Ren's chapter. I know, I'm sorry. Hate me all you want but it wont change anything. just keep reading and I'll answer all the questions you have.

1) Concerning Ren's chapter, I finished it today but wasn't very happy with how it turned out. Essentially it was a rehash of Nora's but from the ninja's perspective. I just got an idea as I was getting around to posting his chapter and decided to scrap it and start anew. So no chapter this weekend but hopefully I can get it posted this next weekend. I feel horrible about the delay but I think it will pay off. I'll post Ren's chapter and then if wanted, post what the draft was.

2) I keep getting comments, which is great, about ideas for this, which is not so great. First, I will not be doing chapters featuring Cinder's team for a few reasons. One of which is that I don't know enough about them t accurately portray them and make the writing any good. Another is that, well, they're the villains. They hate our heroes, we learned that in the first episode of volume three. Second, no chapters will be written featuring Ozpin or Glynda. Just like Cinder's team I don't know enough about them as well as I don't have many heartbreaking ideas left.

3) A multitude of these comments also include ideas about how to continue the story after this tragedy. As of right now I have no plans to continue a Rose's Final Petal in a new story or extra chapters. Sorry. However, I do have an idea that would take place within the same universe and be based a little bit of this story. Keep in mind though it would not be of the same genre. No more heartbreak for you. Another problem with doing this is that the idea goes outside the boundaries of what I consider proper fanfiction ethics.

4) This story will officially be completed this next weekend. Ren's chapter is the final one to come. It was definitely fun while it lasted but all good stories have to end. But keep in mind that as a writer I will always seek out new challenges!

5) DID YOU SEE TODAY'S EPISODE!? THE WEAPONS THESE PEOPLE COME UP WITH ARE AMAZING!

6) As always keep reading and post your comments. Let me know what you do and don't like and I'll be sure to take it into account with my writing. The more you tell me what you did and did not like, the better my writing will be, and therefore the greater your enjoyment will be. See you next week for the big finale of A Rose's Final Petal!


	8. Chapter 7

**Well here it is. The final chapter. The ending to A Rose's Final Petal. The ride has been fun but like all good things, it must come to an end. I hope you all enjoy it. I know I have. This chapter wraps everything up pretty nicely though.**

 **I know it's been sad but I feel like it's been refreshing too, a tragedy always brings people closer together even if it takes a long time to happen. And that's how this chapter ends. Check out the bottom for an update on what I'll be writing next.**

 **Ren**

I walk into the bathroom stripping down. I stare at my haunted reflection in the mirror scared to find what I'll see staring back at me. My reflection in the mirror swirls and warps and when it straightens out again, Ruby is standing in front of me.

Her shirt is mangled and drenched with blood. It even spills out of the corners of her mouth. "Ren," the hallucination says. "You let me die Ren. You saw. You watched as I sacrificed myself and you let it happen."

I punch the glass and smash it, the image of Ruby disappearing among the fragmented glass. I drop to my knees breathing heavily like I just sprinted a mile. "I'm sorry," I whisper. I close my eyes and think back to that hellish day.

I remember seeing the whole thing. I kicked away a beowolf and turned to see Ruby leap forward, becoming a blur from her speed. Even so I could track her path. She slid to a stop, pushing Weiss down and swinging her massive scythe upwards.

Time seemed to stop for a minute and I surveyed the scene. Ruby had her back turned to me but I'm sure she had a fierce look on her face. In front of towers a massive, plated ursa swinging one heavy paw down.

In that second I realized that Ruby would easily kill the Grimm, she was aiming the throat, but she would be unable to dodge or block the Ursa's strike. I try to move forwards but I feel rooted to the ground. "Ruby!" I screamed. "Move!" The scene unfroze and plays out to its horrific end.

I punch the tile floor and snap myself back to reality. Drops of sweat fall of my slick forehead and splatter on the floor. I blink and sit back on my heels trying to turn my thoughts to something else. Anything else.

 _Come on Ren, pull it together._ I manage to shakily stand but even so I feel like throwing up. I look at my hand that I punched the mirror with dimly seeing the blood seeping out of the cuts, the pain not registering in my head.

Almost like I'm in a dream I walk to the medicine cabinet, keeping my eyes averted from the mirror, and grab a roll of bandages. Slowly I wrap the white gauze around my fist trying to piece myself back together.

The moment I finish I get dressed again and leave the bathroom having changed my mind about getting a shower. Back in the dorm room Nora stays crouched on her bed with her headphones covering her ears.

I can hear the music from across the room. I want to try and comfort her but I don't feel up to it this time so instead I walk out of the dorm and aimlessly wander the halls. At some point I find myself outside close to Rose Hill.

Last week the cliff where Ruby is buried was officially named after her. I gaze up the forested hill wondering if I should maybe go up. The only times I've ever been up there were the funeral and when Nora almost killed herself.

I stand there for a long time before finally deciding to make the trek all the way up the hill. Walking through the forest I wonder why I'm even trying. Other times I've tried to visit the grave Ruby always appears and I run away.

This time appears to be different though and I make it all the way through the forest without Ruby's ghost showing up. I stop at the forest's edge however almost scared to go any farther.

I force my feet to move deciding that I would finish what I started. I walk up to and then past the gravestone choosing to sit on the cliff edge. "Hey," I whisper to myself, "I made it all the way up."

I look down at my lap not saying anything else. I simply sit there. "Sup ninja boy," I hear from behind me. I don't turn around. Coco Adel.

"Hi Coco," I say still staring down at my lap. "What do you want?"

"Well you sound depressed," the fashionista comments, completely ignoring my question. She sits down beside me and leans backwards. "Tell me what's up."

I finally look over at her, carefully keeping my face flat. "Nothing. Why do you ask? Why are you here anyways. You barely knew Ruby." Again she ignores my question instead looking at me over her sunglasses.

I look away unable to keep her gaze. "It's Ruby. I keep seeing her everywhere. I can rarely look in a mirror without seeing her and freaking out." I show her my hand and the blood seeping through the light wrap of white gauze.

Coco doesn't say anything waiting for me to continue. "It's my fault," I whisper, turning away from the fighter. "That day… I saw it, I saw it all happen and didn't do a god damned thing."

"You're a dumbass, you know that?" My head snaps up and I look at her surprised. "You heard me. You're a dumbass," she repeats. I try and protest but she cuts me off. "Look kid, no one blames you for what happened to Ruby."

"To be honest, they're all too busy blaming themselves. What if this. What if that. So what. The girl died and that's a fact. Yeah it sucks, hell I barely even knew her and I feel like a piece of missing too. But really, do you think Ruby would want you to blame yourself for this?"

I try to protest again and for the second time Coco cuts me off. "Don't give me that shit. I know what you're going to say and I don't need to hear it." She stands up and looks off into the distance.

"Everyone needs to come to terms with things and understand that Ruby is dead and there's no bringing her back. Now to answer your first question. We're here to pay our respects and hopefully get some closure."

"We?" I look up at Coco as she turns to face something behind her. I turn around and find countless people standing at the edge of the forest; mine and Ruby's team all gathered together standing in front of the larger group.

Coco looks down at me and takes off her sunglasses. "You gonna join us?" Seeing everyone who came makes tears come to my eyes. I furiously rub my eyes feeling choked up.

The tears quickly overflow though and I hide my face in my good hand. Coco crouches down and places a hand on my back. "Just let it all out kid, let it all out. You'll feel better eventually. It may be days, it may be weeks. Even months, but it will get better. I hope you see that. It looks like everyone else has."

 **So! That's it! The final chapter of this wonderful story! Now, as promised, an update on what I'll be writing next. Luckily it's not so damn sad. Quite the opposite actually. I plan on writing a series of subset books within a larger book that's centered around the romances that develop between the characters we (the majority) ship.**

 **The ones I plan on writing, in this order, will be White Rose, Arknos, Bumblebee, Nora x Ren(let me know if you come up with a name for these two please), and Crosshares (Velvet x Coco)**

 **It will all be underneath one book but each new chapter posted will be labeled, for instance, like this: White Rose: Chapter 1 or Crosshares: Chapter 3. The whole thing will be named something else.**

 **The best part of this project will be the writing because I will be using the episodes as a guideline. Such as the dance for Bumblebee. We never see the dance between Yang and Blake or Ruby's jealousy when she hears about Weiss asking Neptune to the dance and wanting to dance with her instead or Ren and Nora forcing Pyrrha to tell them about her true feelings for Jaune.**

 **Because of this however the writing will most likely take a lot longer than normal so new chapters aren't likely to appear every weekend. I think. I could be wrong but we won't know until later. The first chapter will definitely be posted this weekend. I hope you enjoy them!**


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